Author: Tim Smith

….. There are some that think that all the historic properties in the City should be bulldozed as quick as possible – before they get in the way of some new development.

Then there are some that think that if it’s 50 years old, or (older) it must be saved at all costs…

Then there are the reasonable people that know that all great cities save their most important structures from their past. It’s you who are invited Friday for the free wine!

The Broward Trust for Historic Preservation will be on site for the ModWeekend, where you can take the trolley and see some amazingly cool hotels and houses built during a great period of architecture. And, the Trust will be providing some great exhibits and some good cheap wine, (and priceless company!)

This is one of the great pics from the Robin Hill collection of 1950’s architecture in the City that will be on display that night……

See you at the AQUA Hotel – 3016 WindamarStreet – Suite 2104 ( on the beach) ….. Friday night – 5 until 7

If you can’t come and want to help save what important, historic structures are left – become a member of the Trust by sending $35 to the ………..

The Central Beach Alliance, the civic group that represents folks on the Fort Lauderdale Beach, got word early yesterday that the lawsuit against them by the developer of an approved condo would be dropped.

site of approved condo

The developer of the approved condo, the Grand Birch, ( 115 feet tall, 22 – units starting at over a million dollars), was suing the CBA for$7000for interfering with their approval to build the condo by joining a lawsuit filed by neighbors of the approved building trying to halt the start of construction.

In the end, the developer needed more time to build the condo, and agreed to halt their lawsuit in hopes of an extension of time to build from the Fort Lauderdale City Commission.

The vote to grant the extension was approved by the Commission 4-1, Commissioner Trantalis voting no.

Mayor Jack Seiler’s most virulent critic, Charlie King, sent an e-mail out to dozens of bigwigs today to say he and some “rebels” were forming a group to oppose Seiler.

King (second from left) sent out this photo of his “rebels” (Earl Rynerson on left, Ray Dettman on right, and Vicki Eckels with caption added …. see below –

Ready to Roll:

Rebels of the regime are gathering to put their petty differences aside to take on the 3 man un-Holy Alliance of Seiler, Roberts and Rogers and their nonresident police and fire union henchmen. Don’t be surprised if you hear more from these coalescing Concerned Citizens Against Jack Seiler. Special thanks to Cal Deal for making us look so good despite the backlighting.

The e-mail drew a strong response from the picture taker King references – Cal Deal.

There you go again, Charlie.

When I want to make my opinions known, I’ll do so myself and, as always, I will sign my name to them. You should know better than to imply that I do or do not hold certain positions, that I do or do not like certain members of the City Commission, and that I do or do not like the state of our Police Department.

Further, I want to make it abundantly clear that there is no “coalescing Concerned Citizens Against Jack Seiler” or anything like it. There is no budding conspiracy, and those who ate and talked yesterday evening were people of differing views who were there to eat and talk. Period.

This is precisely why I have a filter on my email program that sends everything from you directly to my TRASH — unread. You don’t know when to shut up.

Cal

Dettman, on the other hand, said this about the group –

Intentions good government , No recall, and I Already told Charlie I would Vote for Him if He ran for Mayor.

And Eckels:

While we are a group of concerned citizen activists, we have long convened to socialize over food and drink, converse about the local political and civic scene with a lovely diversity of opinion; we do not always agree but we certainly let opinions flow freely. We arrive as friends and leave as friends. Charles claims he was trying to be humorous, he does have a sense of humor though it wasn’t particualrly evident in his morning posting about forming an alliance to rebel against incumbents. No matter, I still like him.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th shortly before 8:00 A.M. The incident took place in the 1200 block of Northeast 4th Avenue in the City of Fort Lauderdale.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department received a report of shots fired at this location.When the officers arrived, they discovered a male victim lying in the roadway.The victim has been identified as Pierre Akeem Gustave, B/M, 04/11/90, a resident of the City of Margate.

Gustave was recently released from Florida State Prison on August 13, 2013 and known to frequent the area.This is an active and on-going investigation. Investigators are encouraging anyone who may have witnessed this shooting or who may have information about the incident to contact Detectives Mark Shotwell at 954-828-5517 or Jim Jaggers at 954-828-5970.